Gate-operating mechanism for meal-cookers and the like.



A. W. FRENCH. "QATE OPERATING MEGHAIQSM .FOR MEAL GQOKERS AND THE LIKE. APPLIGATIBN FILED AUGA, 191a.

Patented Mar. 24, 1914 3 BHEETW-SEBET 1.

Lw 79765565 Mae/77%;."

W%/ZZW4 fiomeqai A. 'WLPRENCH. GATE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR MEAL GOOKERS AND THE LIKE.

' APPLICATION FILED AUG.4, 191a.-

3 @91 55 Patented Mar. 24,191

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

$708 /7 for A. W. FRENCH.

GATE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR MEAL OOOKBRS AND THE LIKE.

' APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 4, 1913.

LGQ 1,55. Patented Mar. 24; 1914.

3 SHEBTSSHEET 3.

'm 'w. FRENCH, or PIQUA, OHIO.

cairn-cremains mnonnnismt son MEAL-CQOKEBS AND THEILIKE.

aces.

To all whom it may concern Be itknown that LALFRED W. FBnNoH, a

citizen of the United States,- residingat Piqua, in the county of Miami and State of bio, have invented. a new and useful Improvement in Gate-Operating Mechanisms of one required by reason erative.

for Meal-Cookers and the like, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus, such as steam cookers for oil-bearing,h1eal,' and the like, which comprise a plurality of ket'-. ties or chambers arranged to permit the dis-' charge of materialfrom one chamber to the next and provided with gates for controlling the delivery of the material from chamber to chamber so as to regulate the quantity of material in the chambers and the length of time that it remains therein. In application Serial No. April 2, 1913, by M. \V. Faherty, assignor to myself, is disclosed a meal cooker of this nature, in which the gates are operated to dischargc'the kettles in succession, the gate kettle beingcontrolled by the level' of the material in the next kettle below.

According to the present invention the gate of the kettle next to the bottom is pref erably adapted to be operated at will. to de- 4 liver the material from this kettle to-the-bottom kettle when the latter is empty orwhen the line of presseshas' been filled, and the gates of the other kettles are automatically controlled so that each kettle is discharged after the kettle next below has been emptied and the gate thereof closed.

One object of the invention is to provide an etiicient practical and reliable gate-operating mechanism for apparatus of this .nature, by which the ates can be caused to operate so as to propefiy control the delivery of the material fromkettle. to'kettle and the time that'- it remains in the cookeras may be of variations in the qlualityor condition of the material and ciangmg conditions -in the mill, oi as may be deemed advisable by the experienced op- Another object'of the invention i s to provide animprovedgate operating mechanism for apparatus of this'sort of the construction hereinafterdescribed and'setforth in theclaims in the accompanying drawings: Figurej lh Specification of letters Patent. Application filed Augustd, 1918. Serial tively a fragmentary side known construction, 758,340; filed rers or scrapers consisting ecting laterally in the lower portions of the "usual, for forming the cakes adapted to be .for holding th t4 t shearing plate Patented Mar. 24, 1914. No.782,800. I

is a fragmentary tion, of a meal cooker embodying the invention; F ig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation, on an enlarged scale, thereof. Fig. 3 is a elevation, partly in sect-.-

.i'ragmentary rear elevation thereof. Fig. 4-

showing one of the gates openland another closed. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view thereof partly in section, in line-55, Fi 2 Fig.26 is a sectional elevation thereof in line 6---6, F-ig. 5. Figs.7 and8 are respecelevation and sectional elevation of a gate operating mechanism of slightly modified construction.

as a fragmentary sectional elevation thereof I kc reference characters refer to like parts in the several figures. 1

A, Fig. 1, represents anoil-meal cooker of comprising a series of four heating kettles-or chambers 1, 2, 8, 4,

arranged in a descending series and pro;

arge openings a'so vide'd with bottom disch that the material can discharge by gravity from one kettle into the next-lower kettle. The cooker is provided with the nisual stiroij-afins' B prokettles from a vertical a e-a1 shaft 6 which is driven by any suitable mechanism '6.

other suitable arrangement and number A of kettles can be employed.

Each kettle except the bottom one is provided with opening (1 thereof and adapted to swing open downwardly into the next kettle below. The material is drawn e gate shut. v

03 represents a. bear-in terior of-the cooker for t hin etube. The latch sh plate on the exe outerend of the own is pivoted at e a gate-C controlling the discharge from the bottom kettle.

e cooke1 Wit-h a part engaged hy a latch or dog is held by asprin'g next.

latch engages a tooth or shoulder f on the disk, thereby locking the gate. A latch or locking device of any other suitable construction adapted to allow the gate to close and to hold it closed until the latch is released, as hereinafter explained, could be employed. Y

(i represents a gate closing device or float which is adapted to ride or float on the ma; terial in the kettle intdWhich-the gate depends. The float is lifted by the material accumulating in the --kettle and closes the gate when the material reaches a predetermined level. In order to enable the gate to be closed when the material reaches one or another level so as to regulate the uantity of material in the kettle as desire the float is connected to the gate in such a way that it can be adjusted to ditferent angular relations to the gate. For this purpose the arm 9 of-the'float G is fixed to the inner end of a shaft 9 that extends lengthwise through-the hingetube D and is adapted to be rotatably adjusted therein and secured by any suitable means which are accessible at the outside of the cooker. As shown in Figs. 1 to 6, the float-shaft g is adjustably secured to the hinge tube by a pin or screw it which is adapted to be inserted into a hole in the latch disk F through any one of a series of holes h in a disk H which is secured by a set screw h or otherwise, to theouter end of the shaft 9, thus enabling the shaft g and the attached float to be adj ustahub extension h through which the shaft g passes, and to which it can be adjustably secured by a setscrew h in the hub extension. The end of the shaft is provided with a pointer 'h -co6perating with graduations on, the disk hub to indicate the adjustment. Any other suitable means enabling the ready adjustment of the float relative to the gate could be employed in place of those described. r

I I I represent rods for trip in the latches E to release the gates for isc arging the material from one .kettl into the The rod I, which trips thedatch of the gate 0 that controlstheilelivery of the material from kettle N alnm; the bottom kettle, is adapted to be actuated manually by the former man. This rod stands with its upper end normally held beneaththe free end ot the latch E and against the'edge of the latch disk F by a spring Thelower end of the rod is preferably connected by a lever anda rod is to the slide (not shown) that, closes the discharge opening of the bottom kettle so that the rod will be lifted to trip the latch E and release the gate C to 'spring 1 Vhen the gate is closed the upper end of the trip rod is restored to its normalposition beneath the end of the latch by its The other trip rods I I are respectively connected to and actuated by the gates of the kettles 3 and 2 in such a way that when the gate of kettle No. 3 closed the rod I trips the latch and releases the gate of kettle No. 2 next above, and when this gate is closed the rod I releases the gate of kettle No. l. Iii .this way one kettle is discharged and its gate closed before the material delivered thereto. from the next kettle above.

.Each red I I is therefore preferably pivoted at its lower end to the latch disk 1* of one gate with its upper end arranged to actuate the latch for the next gate; above as before explained in connection wilfih the trip red I. A spring i normally he] s the upper end of each of the rods I I beneath the free end of the latch, and the trip rod is shoved from beneath the latch when the gate swings open by an eccentric portion of the latch disk as before described.

The operation ofthe cooker, assuming the kettles to contain the desired maximum amount of material and the several gates to be shutand locked by their latches, is as follows: The material is drawn from the bottom kettle 4 intermittently in measured quaritities for forming the cakes and when all of the )resses have been filled or the bottom kettle emptied, or when, in the judgmcnt of the operative. the material has remained in the cooker for the proper length of time, the trip rod I is actuated to release the gate of kettle lk'o. 3. This gate will then .open and deliver the material from the third kettle to the bottom kettle. The material accumulating in the bottom kettle will lift the float G and close the gate, which Will be locked by its latch E, as before explained. The second trip rod I will be lifted by the closing of the gate of kettle No. 3 and, when the gate reaches or approximately reachcs'the closed position, will trip the latch of the gate of the second kettle to allow the material to be delivered therefrom to the third kettle. In the same way the material will be delivered from the firstkettle to the second when the gate of the second kettle is closed. i i

The level to which the material can rise in the kettles is determined by the adjustment of floats G relative to the gates and 1 explained, to regulate as, required the inthe receiving chamber for closing said gate, (lull means accessible at the exterior'of said chambers for changing the relative position of said gate and actuating device for regulating the quantity of' material. delivered to the receiving chamber.

2.- The combination. with a plurality of chambers arranged to permit, material. to discharge from one chamber into another, and a gate which controls the discharge of the material from one chamber into the next, of an actuating device for'said gate which is connect/ed to the gate to move therewith and isgoverned by thc uantity of sthe ma terial in the receiving c amber for closing said gate, and means accessible at the exterior of saidchambers for changing the relative position of said gate and actuating de--; vice for regulating the quantity-of material delivered to the receiving chamber.

3. The combination witn a plurality oi chambers arranged to permit material to discharge irons-one chamber into another, anda gate" which controls the dischargeoi the material from one chamber into the next,

of a device which is governed by. the level of the material in the reccivingchamber for closing said gate,- said gate and closing device having a common pivotal. connection, and means for changing the angular rela-- tion offsaid gate and device to vary the controlling action of said gate.

' 4-. The combination with a plurality of chambers arrangedto permit material'to discharge from one chamber into another,

and a gate which controls the discharge of the material from one chamber into thelnext, of a device which is governed by the levelof the material in the recciving'chamber for closing said gate, said gate and closing device having a common pivotal connection,

and means locatedexteriorly of said chainhers f'or changiilg the ang'dlar relation of said gate and device to vary the controlling action of said gate i 5. The combination with a plurality of chambers arranged to permit materialto discharge from one chamber into another, and a gate which controls the discharge of the material from one chamber into the next,

of afioat which is connected to said gate to move therewith and is adapted to ride on the material the receiving chamber for closing said gate, and means exterior to fioat'to said gate. 1

6. The combination with said chambers for adjustably securing said a plurality of chambers arranged to permit: material to discharge from one chamber into; another, "and gates which control the'discharge of the material from said chambers, means for releasing the gate of one chamber, means for closing said gate, and means controlled by the closing of said gate for releasing the 'gate 'bf another chamber. r

7. Theeombination with a plurality of chambers arranged to permit" material "to discharge 'froin'one chamber into another, and gates whigh controlthe discharge of the material from said chambers, meansifqr releasing the gate of one chamber, means for closing said gate, and means controlled by the closing of said gate forreleasing said other gates in succession...

8. combination with a plurality of chambers arranged to permitmaterial ,to discharge from one chamber into another,

and gates which control-[the discharge of the material from said chambers, meansf'er'.

releasing the gate of .one chamber,'--means.

controlled by the material discharged by: said gate for closing. said gate, andineans controlled by theclos'ing of said gate for" releasing the ate of another"chamber.

9. The com ination with a pluralitybf chambers arranged to .permit material. to

dischargefrom one chamber into another,

and vgates which controlthe' discharge of the material from said'chambers', means-for releasing the gate of one chamber, means controlled by the-level of the mat-erial'in the next lower chamber.

chambers arranged to permit material to discharge from one chamber into another,

and ,gates which control the discharge of the material from said chambers, latches for holding said gates shut, means for actuating the latch to release the gate of onev chamber, means for closing said'gate, and means controlled by the closing of said gate for ,actnat-ing the latch to release the gate of another chamber.

chamber for closing said. gate, and means controlled by the closin of said gate tor releasing the gate of anoter 10. The combination with a plurality of 1.1. The combination with a plurality of chambers arranged to permitunater-ial to discharge from one r ch-amber into another, and gates which control the discharge of the material from said chambers, means for releasing the gate of one chamber, means for closing said gates, latches for said other gates,-and means controlled by the closing of eachlof said'gates for actuating the latch to release the next ate.

12. The combination with a plurality of chambers arranged to iiermit material to discharge from one' into another, and a plurality of gates each controlling the discharge of the material from one chamber into the next, of locking means for each of said gates, manually controlled means for releasing the locking means of one of said gates, means controlled by the material fed past said gate for closing the same, and means controlled by the closing of said gate for releasing the locking means of another gate.

13. The combination with a plurality of chambers arranged to permit material to discharge from one into another,- and a plurality of gates each controlling the dischar e of the material from one chamber into tie next, of locking means and a gate actuating 4 means for each of said gates, and a releasing device for the locking means of one of the gates actuated by the actuating means of another of the gates.

14. The combination with a plural'ty of chambers arranged to permit mate1 al to discharge from one into another, of plurality of gates each controlling the discharge of the material from one chamber into the next, means for each gate for lOPliing the same in closed position, means for releasing one of said locking means to permit the gate to open, means for closing said gate, and means actuated by said gate closing means for releasing another of said locking means.

15'. The combination with a plurality of chambers arranged to permit material to discharge from one into another, of a gate controlling the discharge of the material from one chamber into the next, means for locking said gate in closed position, said means including a member movable with the gate, and a trip for releasing said locking means, said member acting on said trip to move the same into inoperative position.

16. The combination with a plurality of chambers arranged to permit the material to discharge from one chamber into another, and gates which control the discharge of the material from one chamber into the next, of means for opening said gates in succession, and means controlled by the material in each chamber for closin the gate of the chamber discharging thcrcinto, said closing means being adjustable to vary the action thereof.

17. The combination with a plurality of chambers arranged to permit the material to discharge from one chamber into another, and gates which control the discharge of the material from one chamber into the next, of means for opening said gates in succession, and means controlled by the material in each chamber for closing the gate of the chamber discharging thereinto, said closing means being independently adjustable to regulate independently the closing ofthc several gates.

18, The combination with a plurality of chambers arranged to permit the material to discharge from one chamber into another, and gates which control the discharge of the material from one chamber into the next, of ineans for opening and closing said gates in succession, said means being adjustable to regulate independently the closing of the several gates.

\Vitness my hand, this 25th day of July,

ALFRED W. FRENCH. Witnesses IRENE ELI, Gn'aca A. FRENCH. 

